Quatsino Sound - August 10-14, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Only three members of the PGOSA Paddle Club attended, but what a great trip it was.  Six good paddles in five days, one at Storie's Beach and the Deer Islands near Port Hardy, three from Spencer's Cove on Quatsino Sound, another from Winter Harbour to the Hunt Islets near Quatsino Light Station, and yet another at Nimpkish Lake on the way home.  Also, a wonderful visit to the beach at Grant Bay Provincial Park.  

On this trip, we saw much wildlife, including orcas, bears, eagles, blue herons, tame deer, giant jellyfish, a harbour porpoise, and many otters, some river but mostly sea otters.  We paddles protected inlets, open sounds, rivers, and inland lakes.  The weather was perfect, no rain, cool, and generally sunny.  The wind conditions ranged from dead calm to light breezes.

As a small group, we were free to make choices as to where we camped and when, and which roads to take.  The added flexibility contributed greatly to maximizing our time away.  And no mishaps, no accidents on what proved to be a fairly long drive.

Great adventures and great friends to remember.

Harvey

Pirates Cove on DeCourcy Is - Aug 11, 2026, Vincent Delogne

On Aug 11 eight of us met at the Cedar boat ramp at 9 am for a kayak outing to Pirate’s Cove. It was a perfect day with lots of sunshine and almost no wind. We crossed to the beach between Mudge and Link island thinking we’d have a short portage to the east side of the islands but the tide was so low that it turned into a long, gruelling one! No-one complained as it is a beautiful area and we gradually made our way down Link and De Courcy, stopping at Eaglet island to talk to someone I knew. A big cargo ship with 3 large towers was anchored in the distance and we found it’s a system that uses wind power to reduce fuel consumption.

We went around to the beach at the south end of De Courcy for our lunch stop and had a long break checking out the Pirates Cove campground and hiking the trail to the treasure chest. For those who don’t know, it was abandoned there a long time ago by the pirates and all the gold is gone but now it’s filled with toys!

We paddled back up the other side along the De Courcy cliffs with amazing rock formations to Hole in the Wall and from there took our time for the final crossing back to the boat ramp. It was 3 pm when we arrived and we were tired. This was a beautiful outing with a great group, we all loved it!

Vincent

Denman & Chrome Island - August 4, 2026, Don Poirier

Another great day on the water and special thanks to Kate who hosted us for a post-paddle party on her deck overlooking Denman Island.  We took it all in and enjoyed talking about all kinds of things from dance, beer, travel and even boat parts…don’t ask.  Ron and his wife Loverne also joined us after the paddle which was very nice.

We had calm seas and crossed Baynes Sound to Denman and proceeded along the western shore of the island spotting seals and a few eagles.  Southward, we circled the Chrome Island Lighthouse (est. 1891) which was our halfway point for the 12 km paddle. Then a dash to a small sandy beach on Denman for lunch.   It was a little paradise, room for a tent with a water source and a vantage point looking across to the Beaufort Range and Chrome Island to the south.  I later learned that the beach used to be known as Betty’s Beach.  She was an oyster farmer going back to the 1980’s and had succeeded John Carlson, a fisherman and character of Denman going back to mid-century.  An apple, plum and several cherry trees survive today on this southward facing beach.  How nice.

So that was the day for nine paddlers. Awesome!

Gabriola Flat Top Islands - July 29, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Such a beautiful day!  All the driving and dealing with the ferries was worth the gorgeous views from the Flat Top Islands near Silva Bay on Gabriola Island.  Eight paddlers enjoy views of clean, clear waters, starfish, jellyfish, seals in abundance, herons, and eagles.  There was a lot of high-priced boating traffic as well.  We enjoyed a relaxed lunch on Saturnina Island with views to both north and south.  The sandstone formations in the area are magnificent!  The ferries were busy, but we all managed to get our sailings and return home tired and sunburned after a spectacular day.

Sandy Island Trip - July 21, 2026 - Don Poirier

Fourteen paddlers out for the trip from Union Bay to Sandy Island located immediately north of Denman Island.  Thankfully, smoky conditions from late Monday had largely dissipated and we set out on the water at 9:30 am.  We enjoyed calm seas and the air temperature was about 26C.  Our circuit to Sandy and nearby Seal Islets totalled 15 km. We made two stops along the shores of Sandy Island including one for a short swim. 

Along the way, we noticed a fried egg jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica) and then a naval boat passed along along the Sound.  That boat, PT-59 or the WOLF is a training vessel based out of CFB Esquimalt.  Further out at the Islets, a heron, dozens of seals (some with pups) plus gulls provided an audience as several kayaks zipped through a small gap with surf between the sandy bars.   It was a great day on the water and later capped with a stop in Qualicum Bay for ice cream.

Orca-class naval training boat - the WOLF, PT-59 (product of Victoria Shipyards)

Ucluelet Trip Report - July 15, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Just four intrepid souls set out on a surprisingly windy morning, cold considering the time of year.  Hard work paddling, but we were rewarded by the view of a black bear turning over boulders to chow down on crustaceans.  We also landed on  a couple of secluded beaches and then made our way back on calm waters past a busy fishing fleet off-loading their catches.  8.4 miles in total.

Tofino Trip Report - July 14, 2026, Harvey Pearson

Six of us ventured out into Grice Bay (near Tofino) on calm, sunny waters in near perfect weather conditions.  The tide was very low setting out and so the group decided to venture around Indian Island which proved to be gorgeous and offered extensive views of Clayoquot Sound.  After the tide came in, we explored a number of tidal estuaries which provided a close encounter with nature of the first order, albeit challenging at times.  A long day, 11 miles in all, but perfect weather and good company.